The annual Hook & Ladder Enduro desert race offers four-wheeling (and two-wheeling) excitement. Become a sponsor of this annual charity event where fire department families enjoy a weekend of fun and camaraderie at California City, all benefiting the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund.
While only firefighters can ride, you can still help with your sponsorship. Here are ways to help:
- Be a title sponsor by contributing monetary donations to cover T-shirts and finisher pin costs
- Donate raffle and auction items
Your generosity helps provide support to firefighters and their families in times of crisis.
For more information, contact Tim Wuerfel at timlafd@yahoo.com
Wild Off-road Racing in the Desert: LAFD Family Fun
LAFD Firefighters and their families hit the dirt in the desert at the “Hook and Ladder Enduro.” It’s all about fun, family and tradition. But most of all, it’s a fundraiser for the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighters Fund. Helping firefighters and their families in their greatest time of need in the case of death or serious injury. LAFD firefighters, families and friends, journey to California City in the Mojave Desert for the event of a lifetime! Watch the wild off-road race and how tradition comes alive, generation after generation.
LAFD Firefighter Tradition: Hook and Ladder Enduro
Bringing together firefighters and their families, the Hook and Ladder Enduro originally began in Pasadena in 1975 by members of the Pasadena Fire Department. It started as a day of friendship and off-roading fun. But after the Pasadena firefighters stopped organizing the Enduro some years back, our LAFD firefighters decided to get the tradition going again.
LAFD Battalion Chief Tim Wuerfel, who now runs the event, says, “I was fortunate enough that my dad took me to the Hook and Ladder Enduro by the Pasadena Fire Department. Tim says after it went dormant, Retired LAFD Captain II Bruce Galien and Retired LAFD Battalion Chief Craig White, resurrected it and kept it going. Our LAFD hero families have been enjoying this popular getaway for 14-years and counting.
Bruce, known as the “Godfather” of the event says members of the Pasadena Fire Department gave their blessing for the event to come alive again.
Giving to Charity: The Hook and Ladder Enduro
The Hook and Ladder Enduro has grown to a full-blown weekend event. The annual event typically happens each March. There is not only racing, but camping and barbecuing, plus lots of fun for the kids too! it is not only about the competition, it also is about raising money for our L.A. firefighter charity.
Bruce says people pay a registration fee and buy a t-shirt, plus more! “We also have a silent auction and we have a raffle.” The event also includes an awards ceremony for race winners in several categories.
Over the years the race has evolved with several classes of races, drawing hundreds of contestants, typically racing on a 25-mile course.
Retired LAFD Engineer Mike Raden says, “We have now the ATV or UTV class, or the side by sides.” He’s talking about moto/quad riders, and four-wheel vehicle racing. There is also a motorcycle class for women, called Powder Puff, and a Pee Wee class!
Bruce says there’s the off-road course called the blind bogey event. The time to match is chosen before the event begins so no one gets hurt trying to be the fastest. “We do post the times, and everyone looks for the fastest every time anyway. Firemen are competitive. What can I say?” jokes Bruce.
Teter’s Trailer: A tribute to a fallen LAFD firefighter
One of the highlights of the weekend during the race, is getting to get a hot dog at Teter’s Trailer, Bruce explains. “When I was on the job, we had an engineer whose name was Ed Teter, and he said, “When I retire, I’m going to take my trailer out to the desert somewhere and hopefully people can find me and I’ll have gas and food and it’ll be a little place where people can congregate, but it’s going to be like a game.’ He wanted to hide, or not hide… but send out clues as to where he was going to be. Unfortunately, he died before that ever happened.”
Ed’s son, Jedidiah Teter who is now a Captain II on the LAFD says it simply, “I believe my dad wanted to put a trailer out in the middle of nowhere, people would ride to it, you’d serve them a hot dog, so they made a ride of it. I guess it kind of started there.”
Mike says, “Ed used to love riding. He always had a smile on his face and he just loved being out here.
While the weekend is filled with fun, family, excitement, and comradery, at the end of the day it is all about supporting our LAFD firefighters and their families, whether it is always remembering people like Ed Teter, or raising money to help the next generation of heroes.
By Charles Stewart
